


Friendzone

by Ishmael



Category: DCU, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Bullying, Comment Fic, Emotional Manipulation, Friendzone, Gen, M/M, Team as Family, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 10:18:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3407006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ishmael/pseuds/Ishmael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How are you enjoying the friendzone, Cisquito?"<br/>Cisco forces himself not to tense, hating that he'd been so engrossed in the computer readout he hadn't heard Hartley come up behind him. "A lot. Having friends is awesome." Cisco spins in the chair and bares his teeth with a smile. "Which you wouldn't know, since you don't have any."<br/>"Everyone in the lab thinks you're panting after our resident Ice Queen but I know better."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendzone

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I'm going to deal with shitty life situations by imagining all kinds of angsty backstory for Cisco and writing hasty unbeta'd fic about it  
> There was so much potential between Ronnie and Cisco in S1E14. That plus Cisco's rage at Hartley made me want to explore this angle.

"How are you enjoying the friendzone, Cisquito?"

Cisco forces himself not to tense, hating that he'd been so engrossed in the computer readout he hadn't heard the telltale trod of the resident asshat. "A lot. Having friends is awesome." Cisco spins in the chair and bares his teeth with a smile. "Which you wouldn't know, since you don't have any."

Hartley leans on the desk, faux-casual and exuding faux-sympathy. "Oh, you don't have to lie to me. Everyone in the lab thinks you're panting after our resident Ice Queen but I know better."

"Don't talk about Caitlin like that." He can take insults directed at him, those are nothing new. But the master of alienation insulting Caitlin for being a little distant? That's hypocritical _and_ stupid.

"So loyal! It's what everyone wants in a pet." Hartley meets Cisco's gaze. "If they can endure the slobbering."

"Gosh, comparing me to a dog. _There's_ one I've never heard before." Cisco mocks, shooting his mouth off before he can let the hurt sink in. "Will you ever get any new material?"

"While I find the term 'gaydar' ridiculous—I'm sure _you_ like it—I must admit there is truth to the concept of an added awareness about others who share _inclinations._ "

Cisco doesn't like where this is heading but the best way he knows to handle bullies is to show no fear and face them down. He balls his hands into fists. "Get to the point, Hartley."

"How do you think Caitlin would react if she realized your interest in her boyfriend was more flagitious than fraternal?"

"Y'know, filthy would've worked better. But I guess it wasn't pretentious enough for you." Cisco says over the frantic pounding of his heart. _He knows, he knows, he knows._

"You turned the little family you tried to make for yourself incestuous. And Ronnie doesn't even know. He's so good at being the big brother. So _affectionate_. It must be _hard_ not to give yourself away when he puts those overworked biceps around you."

Cisco's chest is tight and burning, because it's true and he _hates_ that it's true and he feels like he's betraying Caitlin every time. He wants to be happy with friends, loves the way they've welcomed him into their lives and the way his heart disobeys him over and over is the worst.

He wants to think of Ronnie as a warm and loving sibling, one without the baggage of his biological brothers. He wants Caitlin and Ronnie to be happy together—and they _are_. Cisco wouldn't endanger that for the world. He didn’t mean for it to happen. He didn't want the easy affection Ronnie gives him to become something else, something that seeps into his bones, something he wants to keep for himself, something he thinks about at night when he's alone. Something that weighs like guilt.

Hartley sighs, long and loud. "I suppose I should be grateful you weren't more Elektra about it. You've done enough to drag down Dr Wells as it is."

Cisco wants to shoot off a retort about how Hartley must have a thing for Dr Wells but doesn't, because it's low and crude and untrue and he can't stoop to that level. The horrible thing about Hartley is that Cisco loses no matter what he does. If he reacts, he's too emotional and Hartley wins by Vulcan logic. If he doesn't react, he's letting Hartley walk all over him.

"It might not be the love I want but I still have it. Jealousy doesn't become you, Hartley." On some level he wants to be sad for this lonely reject. In another universe, maybe they could understand each other's pain. But assholes with sad backstories are still assholes. With a few swift keystrokes Cisco closes out what he was working on and shuts down the computer. "Enjoy dying alone and friendless." He spreads is hands across an imaginary tombstone, "Here lies Hartley Rathaway: Nobody gave a shit, because he was an insufferable dickface."

Hartley sneers, "Here lies Cisco Ramon: he bit the hand that fed him and had to be put down."

Cisco smiles his way out of the room and smiles as hard as he can down the hall and smiles when Caitlin and Ronnie ask him what's wrong and smiles when Ronnie puts one of his big hands on Cisco's shoulders.

But when Hartley's gone and the particle accelerator explodes and it's Cisco's fault Ronnie is gone, all he can hear are those painful words, over and over.

Later, Hartley's smug confidence Cisco will let him out for Ronnie's sake is awful in its truth. He's exactly as selfish as Hartley said he is. But seeing Ronnie and Caitlin happy together again, even for as little time as they had? Maybe being selfish was ok.

Or maybe he's lying to himself.


End file.
